Taxi Driver Bashes Rider's Head With Block of Ice in Village, Police Say

GREENWICH VILLAGE — A taxi driver bashed a local dad in the head with a block of ice last week after the two got into an argument as the father brought his daughter to school, police said.

Driss Qorra, 49, got angry with the 43-year-old dad when the man opened the door to the cab while trying to swipe his credit card, after the cab stopped at Minetta Lane and Sixth Avenue about 7:45 a.m. Feb. 19.

The father got out of the car and walked his daughter to the nearby Little Red School House, then returned to confront the cabbie, police said.

The two argued, and when the dad turned his back, Qorra smashed him in the back of the head with a block of ice, police said.

The father turned back toward the cabbie and was hit in the face with another block of ice, police said, leaving him with a cut on the bridge of his nose, police said. He was taken to Beth Israel Hospital, where he received stitches, police said.

Qorra was arrested and was charged with assault and criminal possession of a weapon, police said.

Qorra's attorney did not respond to a call for comment.

Other notable crimes in the Sixth Precinct include:

► A 20-year-old Urban Outfitters employee was caught by the chain's regional loss prevention manager after stealing thousands of dollars in cash and merchandise from the store at 526 Sixth Ave., police said.

Police said Gianni Carnevale was arrested at the store about 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 18.

According to court documents, Carnevale was hired by the company in September 2013, and started working at the store in January of this year. Between Jan. 14 and Feb. 11, he racked up unwarranted store credit and gave himself cash "refunds" using store gift cards, according to documents. The 20-year-old also gave his friends huge discounts on clothes and occasionally even let them take the clothes for free.

Police said he made off with $3,270 in cash and $1,071 worth of clothes. In court documents, police said he told them that he needed the money for school and that he was sorry.

Carnevale was charged with grand larceny. Information on his attorney was not immediately available.

James Baker, 52, was stopped for carrying an open container of alcohol on Hudson Street near West 13th Street about 3:02 a.m., police said. When he didn't have a valid ID, police started to put him in a patrol car to take him back to the precinct. As they were getting him into the car, they discovered a meat cleaver and a glass pipe with crack residue in his jacket pockets.

Baker was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a weapon. Information on his attorney was not immediately available.

► Edgar Hakobyan, 26, was caught using someone else's credit card about 3:30 a.m. on Feb. 23 at Provacateur, the nightclub at the Gansevoort Hotel. Police unearthed four more credit cards stashed in his sock.

He was arrested and charged with grand larceny. Information on his attorney was not immediately available.

Police said an officer spotted Brown prying a Samsung Galaxy phone from the front left pocket of a sleeping passenger on a northbound E train about 2:35 a.m. on Feb. 22. Brown was escorted off the train at West Fourth Street and arrested.

Police said Brown has prior grand larceny arrests, as well as arrests in the transit system. He was charged with felony grand larceny.

Police said the 20-year-old driver of the van had parked it in front of 130 Bleecker St. and returned about 4 p.m. Feb. 20 to find Huff and an accomplice behind the truck, holding a screwdriver. The lock on the back door of the van was broken.

The driver told police the lock would cost $300 to repair.

Police said Huff's accomplice was not apprehended, but Huff was arrested and charged with felony attempted burglary. Information on his attorney was not immediately available.

Alexis Garces was caught with a black ink bottle marker scrawling "CROAK" on a United Hoisting and Scaffolding Corporation wall, police said. Officers also picked up Thomas Kirwood, who they said was the lookout. Both teens had other graffiti paraphernalia on them, police said. The company told police the damages would cost more than $250.

The teens were arrested and charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief. Garces' lawyer did not respond to a voicemail left for comment, and information on Kirwood's lawyer was not immediately available.

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